Design Didn't Prevent These Hazard Exposures

TL;DR

This paper examines how equipment design influences electrical workers' safety practices, highlighting design flaws that lead to hazards and proposing improvements to promote compliance with safety standards.

Contribution

It identifies specific design features that encourage unsafe work behaviors and suggests design-stage processes to enhance safety compliance.

Findings

Design flaws contributed to hazardous work actions.

Equipment improvements facilitated safer practices.

Design processes can proactively identify safety-promoting features.

Abstract

Two recent electrical incidents demonstrate how the design of equipment encouraged electrical workers to take actions that violated NFPA 70E principles. The features that encouraged non-compliant work execution will be described, as well as how the equipment was improved to facilitate safe work practices. Design-stage processes that help identify features that will foster rather than compromise safe work practices will be identified as well.